Shortly after 2am on March 10 last year, one of those relatives heard a noise downstairs. He alerted his parents who went to investigate and found Godfrey in the kitchen.

The fiscal explained: “The accused claimed there was another person in the flat as well. He was removed from the property and made good his escape.

“The elderly man had to be wakened as his family looked in his room for this other person, but no one was found.

“The witnesses were extremely alarmed by what had happened. When police arrived the pensioner confirmed that a mobile phone and a watch had been taken from a drawer in the kitchen and the relatives pointed out the intruder spoke with an English accent.

“Officers dialled the number of the stolen mobile and it was answered by the accused Godfrey, who has an English accent. He refused to give his whereabouts.”

After viewing CCTV, officers suspected Godfrey was at a flat in the Gowkthrapple area. They again dialled the number and again the phone was answered. Police went to the flat and recovered the phone, but there was no sign of Godfrey.

However, three days later he was spotted at Lidl and the game was up.

Mr Bashir told the court: “Officers searched him and found a lock knife in his pocket. He said he’d forgotten it was there.”

Defence agent Diarmid Bruce said Londoner Godfrey came to Scotland three years ago for a Foo Fighters concert, met a girl and decided to settle in Lodge Tower, Motherwell.

Sheriff Thomas Millar deferred sentence until March 13 and agreed to continue bail.